Production
All of the clothes for Yvonne and Mitchel are handcrafted in our home studio located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
workers
The entire company is owned and operated by Caylin Yvonne Willis, who serves as the CEO, and Jared Mitchel Armstrong, who is the sole designer.
materials
Each upcycled garment is made entirely from discarded fabrics that we source from secondhand shops and recycling centers.
origin
Jared and Caylin started Yvonne and Mitchel in 2017 shortly after they met at college and bonded over their love for vintage fashion. The business grew notoriety as an online resale shop and transitioned to an upcycled fashion brand in 2020.
Packaging
We package our clothing in upcycled bags made from used materials and leftover scraps. Reusable stamps and recycled paper are used for branding.
mission
Yvonne and Mitchel's mission is to lead a more sustainable future and help reduce global textile waste by repurposing old materials and inspiring others to do the same.
"We're trying to show that no matter the industry you’re in, no matter what you’re doing, we should be trying to find creative ways to use what we already have."
Jared Mitchel Armstrong, Designer
Our story
Caylin Yvonne and Jared Mitchel were both born in flyover states and raised on the principles of preserving what you have, versus craving what you don’t. Growing up on rural playgrounds of rolling hills cultivated their lifelong love for mother nature and the desire for artistic freedom. Unbeknownst to them at the time, those mutual sentiments would eventually materialize into a clothing brand.
That brand, Yvonne and Mitchel, is an embodiment of Caylin and Jared's way of life: Using fashion as a means of self-expression, honoring and restoring material bygones, and most importantly, refusing to follow traditional paths of consumption.
Yvonne and Mitchel is an upcycled fashion brand creating one-of-one garments from secondhand fabrics and materials. Between sourcing, production, modeling, fulfillment, and customer service — the couple handles every aspect of the business. Jared is the designer and seamster, while Caylin serves as the CEO and marketing head.
By building a business model on ideals that support the slow-fashion movement, YM has been able to reach a level of sustainability that's rare for the fashion industry:
100% of the fabrics used in Yvonne and Mitchel's garments are secondhand, ranging from repurposed old clothing to upcycled garments made entirely out of thrifted fabric. On top of that, almost all of the shipping materials used to package and distribute their items are sourced from local thrift shops and recycling centers.
